New Delhi: Amid US section 301 investigation and plans of 12.5% tariffs, India has banned import of goods produced using forced labour. Ministry of Commerce & Industry informed in a notification on Wednesday, “In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, read with paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, as amended from time to time, the Central Government hereby inserts a new Para 2.20B in the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 as follows with effect after the expiry of 30 days from the date of publication of this Notification in the Official Gazette.”
“The import of goods produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, through the use of forced labour is prohibited. The Central Government may, from time to time, specify, by notification, the goods whose import shall be prohibited under this paragraph, having regard to the findings of such enquiry or such other material as it may consider appropriate. The procedure for conducting an enquiry by the Director General of Foreign Trade into the use of forced labour in the production of such goods shall be as prescribed in the Handbook of Procedures, 2023.,” Ministry of Commerce & Industry added.
The central government has also described forced labour in the notification. It says, “”Forced Labour” means all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily, as defined under the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29).”
This notification inserts Paragraph 2.20B in the FTP, 2023, to empower the Central Government to prohibit, by notification, the import of goods produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, through the use of forced labour. It also inserts Paragraph 11.64 defining “Forced Labour” in accordance with the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), thereby strengthening the FTP framework for restricting imports of goods produced through forced labour. The provisions of this notification shall come into effect after the expiry
of 30 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
